


Radiohead

by Madangel19



Category: Steam Powered Giraffe
Genre: Gen, introducing my fanbot, she's smol, sign language robot, the Walter bots love their new little sister
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-01
Updated: 2016-06-01
Packaged: 2018-07-11 15:07:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7057522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madangel19/pseuds/Madangel19
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rabbit finds something wonderful in the attic of Walter manor</p>
            </blockquote>





	Radiohead

Rabbit hummed to herself as she rummaged around in the attic. She was just so bored today and had decided to go up to the attic. There were boxes, boxes, and even more boxes everywhere filled to the brim with old junk which she quickly put to the side. Everything was so boring!

With a loud sigh, she looked into another box and paused at its contents. Within the box was a rather large, robotic doll. It was around two feet tall. She had very feminine features as Rabbit inspected her limp body. She looked like a beautiful, little copper-plated lady. Her large eyes were closed shut as if she were asleep. The only thing off was her mouth, or what looked like a mouth. There were two small small dials next to a gaping hole that reminded Rabbit of an old radio. It looked like a happy smile open in laughter. There was a strange hole in the side of her neck. All the the poor thing needed was clothes and a nice wig. She would be the perfect playmate after that.

“Hello there, dolly. What’s y-y-your name?” Rabbit chimed. 

She inspected all over the doll and only saw the words “Zydeco” engraved into the back of her head. 

“Your name-name-name is Zydeco? That’s a horrible name! I’m gonna call ya Dolly and you’re gonna be-be-be mah baby,” Rabbit crowed while carrying her newfound child downstairs.

 

“Do ya l-l-like your tea, baby doll?” The voice of Rabbit crowed from the lounge room.

The Spine paused as he walked by the door to the open lounge room. Rabbit was having another of her imaginary tea parties again. He smirked as he looked in, expecting Rabbit to be sitting by herself, surrounded by stuffed animals and dolls. 

She wasn’t. There was a strange figure sitting at the table with Rabbit. It looked like a miniature Walter robot. She was dressed in a baby-blue dress, complete with a tiny top hat atop a bright red wig. Her blank eyes stared into nothingness, taped open by Rabbit. She looked so familiar but The Spine just couldn’t remember where he had seen her face before.

“Oh! There you are, Th’ Spine. Come say hello to-to-to my baby doll. Her name is Dolly,” Rabbit chimed as she looked back at him with a smile. 

“I doubt that’s a doll, Rabbit. Where did you find her?” The Spine frowned.

“I found her in the basement,” Rabbit said.

“Can I have a look at her, please?” The Spine asked. Rabbit nodded her head and grabbed the small robot and handed it to him. The Spine sighed, steam pouring out of his mouth as he looked at the robot close up. She was so familiar, but where had he last seen her? 

He removed her hat and wig and saw the name engraved in the back of her head. Zydeco. The name sounded familiar as well. He put his ear to the small robot’s chest and gasped softly. There was the familiar soft hum of blue matter. It was faint, but it was there. This was a sister! A younger sister!

“Rabbit, you just found our little sister!” The Spine exclaimed and continued,“The poor thing just needs to be powered up.”

“We have a little sister?” A voice asked from outside the room. The Spine and Rabbit looked over and saw Hatchworth peeking curiously into the room. There was an expectant smile adorning his faceplates as he saw the figure in The Spine’s hands.   
“

Her name is Zydeco. I remember her from somewhere but I just can’t recall where,” The Spine said while showing the small robot to Hatchworth. 

“Are we going to turn her on?” Hatchworth asked curiously.

“We are. Let’s go down to the labs to do it,” The Spine declared.

 

It didn’t take long to repair the minor damages on Zydeco. All that was needed now was some water for the hole in her neck. 

The Spine opened up the panel in her head and saw the switch that would turn Zydeco on. He smiled as he turned to his siblings.

“Are you two ready to greet our sister?” He asked.

“Yes!” Rabbit and Hatchworth chimed happily. 

The Spine chuckled as he reached in and flipped the switch. There was a soft hum which gradually got louder as the blue glow from Zydeco’s chest got brighter. The sound of static filled the air as the Zydeco’s limbs began to twitch. The static was coming from Zydeco’s odd-looking mouth. The Spine noticed the dial next to her mouth that said station and decided to turn it to see what it would happen. The static got louder and louder until it stopped on a radio station. Classical music now filled the air. He saw the second dial labeled volume and decided turned it down. As he reached over to turn down the music, Zydeco’s bright blue eyes flickered open. 

A loud screech that sounded like warped static filled the air as Zydeco held out a tiny hand to defend herself. The Spine shot back, crying out in surprise while Hatchworth yelped and hid behind Rabbit. Zydeco’s head twitched from side to side as she stared at the three of them with fear in her eyes. Loud static came from Zydeco’s mouth as she attempted to talk. There was nothing but static. 

The Spine sighed and straightened up before approaching the scared little automaton. He put on his friendliest smile as he stood before his little sister.

“Hello, Zydeco,” he greeted in a friendly tone. Zydeco froze at the mention of her name. More static flowed from her mouth as she pointed at The Spine and the others. She paused, her hands flying to her mouth as she realized that nothing was coming out but static. She shook her head as more static came out. 

“Can you talk?” Hatchworth asked curiously. 

Zydeco closed her optics, more static filled the air. She looked up at them and slowly started moving her hands about in an attempt at sign language. The Spine could figure out what she was trying to say. The poor thing needed practice.

“She can’t talk,” Rabbit noted. Zydeco nodded her head and continued communicating with them silently.

“What’s she trying to say?” Hatchworth asked.

The Spine watched as Zydeco tried to explain what had happened to her and what she remembered.

“ _Father was working on me. Where is father_?” Zydeco asked.

“She wants to know about pappy,” The Spine muttered sadly.

Hatchworth and Rabbit looked distressed at the request. Rabbit sighed and stepped forward to face Zydeco. Zydeco looked excited about the new news she would be hearing. The Spine braced himself for the heartbreak that always came when Rabbit talked about pappy.

“You c-c-can’t see pappy anymore, Zydeco. He….He died a long time ago. I’m so sorry,” Rabbit said while pulling the tiny robot into a hug. Zydeco quickly pulled away, a look of confusion in her optics.

“ _Why did father abandon me_?“ Zydeco asked. 

"She…She wants to know why she was abandoned,” The Spine said sadly. Rabbit sighed as she wiped away oily tears at the question. The Spine knew this was a heavy subject to discuss, especially for Rabbit. 

“We don’t know, Zydeco. But you’re awake now-now-now and you’re with us. You’re a-a-a part of our family,” Rabbit chimed. 

“ _Father made you three_?” Zydeco asked with a look of confusion in her optics.

“Pappy did make us. We’re your older siblings,” The Spine said with a smile.

Zydeco was silent for a moment, her static was quiet now. She stood up on wobbly legs to properly face her siblings. Rabbit stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder to keep her in place. She looked up at the three of them with with a bright look in her optics. With shaky hands, she signed something all three of them understood. The Spine noticed his siblings smiles at her action.

“ _Family_ ,” Zydeco said.

 

It didn’t take long for Zydeco to get situated with the rest of Walter manor. Everyone else in the manor welcomed her with open arms. She was always asking questions about modern times and constantly listening to her radio. She was shocked at how much music had changed.

Zydeco spent most of her time in the many reading rooms and lounge rooms, listening to her radio or reading a book. When she wasn’t reading or listening to her radio, she would work on improving her sign language.

 

Zydeco was busy skimming a book on sign language in a lounge room when she heard footsteps coming into the room. She looked up and watched as The Spine walked in with a book in hand. He smiled as he sat next to her.

“How’s your sign language coming along, Zydeco?” He asked.

“ _Much better, The Spine. I can’t believe sign language has changed over the past one-hundred years. I’ve been gone for too long_ ,” Zydeco said with a happy glow in her optics. The Spine chuckled as he opened his book to read.

Zydeco watched him for a moment. He could use some music to read to. 

Zydeco turned up her volume until serene classical music filled the air. She noticed his smile getting bigger as the music got louder. She was glad she made her older brother happy.

“Ah, Mozart. How nice,” The Spine commented.

Zydeco nodded her head and went back to her studying. 

As time went by, an idea came to Zydeco. If she had a mouth, she would be smirking. She giggled softly, soft static filled the air, interrupting the music for a bit. The Spine didn’t seem to notice. Zydeco knew that the classical radio station was next to the heavy metal radio station. It would be such a funny surprise if she suddenly switched stations without him knowing. 

The music was much quieter now. Zydeco turned up the volume to the highest setting. The Spine’s attention was fully on his book. Her gaze was on him as she slowly reached over to change the radio station.

Angry screams followed by a violent tune suddenly filled the air. The Spine screamed as he jumped out of his seat. Zydeco burst into laughter, loud static filling the air which she quickly turned down.

“Zydeco! Don’t do that!” The Spine cried out when he got back in his seat.

“ _That was hilarious, The Spine_ ,” Zydeco said while giving him a smug look. The Spine only shook his head with a growing smirk.

“You’ve been hanging out with Rabbit too much,” he crowed while going back to his book.

Zydeco giggled softly at her older brother. She was glad she had a family now.


End file.
